Meeting the Bribris

It's with great emotion that we wake up this morning, because since the creation of our Family trip, this stage is undoubtedly one of the most eagerly awaited. We set off from our hotel in Puerto Viejo de Limon, heading for Bribri. The road turns into a track after the village of Bribri, and we continue towards Bambu. It will take us around 1h15 to reach Bambu, the place where we met Gustavo, from Puerto Viejo de Limon. We park our vehicle near a pulperia (a small shop where you can find just about anything) and meet our guide. Gustavo is waiting for us, all smiles. After introductions, he invites us to follow him. Before reaching the pirogue that will take us to the indigenous village, we have to cross a small river. We take off our shoes and cross the obstacle. The children are delighted, and the adventure has already begun. What if there are crocodiles? I have to admit that the pirogue trip alone to the Bribri village is worth the trip to Costa Rica. We sail along the border between Panama and Costa Rica on the Yorkin River. The scenery here is sumptuous, grandiose, natural, the qualifiers are lacking. We disembark. Gustavo takes us through a cocoa plantation. An ancestral crop for the indigenous people of Central America. The children see a cocoa pod for the first time. We then meet Gustavo's family, his mother and brothers. The welcome is sincere and friendly. We sit around a table to refresh ourselves and drink a cas juice, a fruit resembling a guava. We share a moment with the whole family before sitting down to lunch under a palenque. Traditional hut.

Chocolate and the Bribris, an ancestral tradition

The Bribris have recently developed cocoa production using machinery donated by the government and local universities. We take a tour of the machines and the cocoa plantation, and Gustavo explains how they produce and sell cocoa. Gustavo then shows us how, for centuries, the natives have been making cocoa, the drink of the gods. The children's eyes glaze over as the white, fleshy bean contained in the pod has little in common with the chocolate consumed at home. A lady from the village then shows us how the natives treat themselves with plants. We discover plants for stomach aches, for "cleansing" the blood, for mosquitoes and for sinusitis. There's a kind of satisfaction in going back to traditional, natural methods, and everyone gets it into their heads to plant all their own plants back home. Gustavo finally joins us for a short archery class. The target wasn't very far away, 5 metres at most, and yet not one of us managed to hit it. The joy of the children playing Indians in this environment is pure joy. The kindness of Gustavo and his family, the sharing between our children and the total change of scenery made this an unforgettable day. We left in the late afternoon, our hearts full of memories, and climbed back into the pirogue to head for Bambu. A final goodbye and we leave Gustavo's family, smiling and warm. We're back on the road to the village of Cahuita, as tomorrow morning we'll be visiting Cahuita National Park. Good night.